End of the Game
by V.L. Cari
Summary: Izaya is getting bored of the same old game. So he takes on Shizuo for a final match. Winner takes all. It's the final chance at a checkmate. But who will claim the king? -Based on a dream- WARNING: CONTAINS VIOLENCE AND CHARACTER DEATH
1. Black's First Move

Hey, Cari here!~This is a really sudden story I just HAD to write. I woke up from a really crazy and amazing dream I had, and I just had to write a fanfiction based on it. So I hope you like this! :)

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><p>Rain pattered softly onto the cold concrete of the street. People ran to duck under the awnings of stores, and opened their umbrella's to stop the rain from soaking them. Slowly, the rain grew heavier, and fell faster.<p>

A man stood alone in the street, the rain soaking his parka as it washed away the blood and grit of a deadly scuffle. The water stung at his wounds, washing away the evidence of a murder he had wanted to commit for years.

He looked up to the sky, his dark hair clinging to his face, as rain, blood, and tears mingled and dripped down his cheek. He smiled, victorious, as the ringing in his ears grew. The sound of sirens in the distance grew closer as a bystander finally called the police.

An ambulance came onto the scene. Medics rushed past him to check on the body lying on his back. Blood pooled out from under the corpse, mixing with the icy water that soaked his already cold and lifeless form.

This sad, cold, October night started off like any normal evening.

Only hours earlier, the sun was shining dimly as it hung low in the sky. The bright star basked the city in a orange glow, and although some clouds hung low in the sky, threatening to rain, the evening was beautiful. Light twinkled in the buildings, and the street lamps were flickering on, as Ikebukuro's streets were filled with people wandering around for late night strolls. All was peaceful.

Walking down the streets, a seemingly normal trio walked huddled in a group. The blonde haired leader gossiped on about some girls from school, and teased his best friend (a boy with shirt black hair) about crushing on their friend (a girl with scarlet eyes, black hair, and a nice pair of tits). The boy and girl in question walked behind him, just listening silently as their cheeks dusted pink from the attention.

They passed by a local restaurant, which was strangely popular to the residents of this bustling city. They glanced inside, the young girl mentioning that she'd like to try something new to eat. They eagerly walked up to the door, greeted by a large, black, Russian man, but the blonde saw someone he would rather not run into eating inside. He stopped, and coaxed his friends away to eat somewhere else. Something about a new place that opened up down the street. After some time, the brunette's reluctantly followed the bubbly blonde away.

Inside, the man whom the blonde didn't want to talk to was eating alone in the corner of the store. The fringe hood of his jacket was pulled over his head, hiding his face from the crowd, although it didn't do much for hiding him. That jacket was easily recognizable to those who knew him. His narrow claret eyes scanned over the restaurant slowly, observing the people that filled the tables.

Smiling, the brunette under the hood picked up his plump ootoro, letting the juices dribble down his fingers a bit, before plopping the fatty tuna into his mouth. He hummed with delight and shivered slightly with joy as it melted on his tongue. He lapped the juices on his fingertips and smiled, as he reached for another slice.

"I-Za-Ya. You like sushi, yes? It good?"

The brunette looked up at the sound of his name. He saw the chef of the restaurant standing above him, his smile grinning from ear to ear. It was the same man from outside, who had beckoned to the trio who walked past. Izaya smiled back at the peace loving man; a happy mask he was used to pulling out.

"Hello there, Simon." he replied.

"You no get into trouble today?" Simon asked, a serious undertone in his voice as he smiled and cleaned up Izaya's mess. Izaya plopped the last of his meal into his mouth and stood up, wiping his hands on a napkin.

"I wasn't planning on it…I'm serious this time, Simon! You have no trust in me?" Izaya replied with a mock frown when Simon gave him a look of doubt.

"You are not the most trust worthy person in Ikebukuro, Izaya." Simon responded in his native tongue, his thick Russian accent obscuring his Japanese way of speaking. "Just be careful. I would not like to see any blood shed today."

Izaya sighed and grinned, "I can assure you, I was not planning on anything dastardly today." He responded fluently in Russian, stepping beside Simon as he headed toward the door. "Have a good day, Simon!~" He called back, speaking in Japanese once more. Simon shook his head and went back to work, as the information broker skipped out into the bustling streets.

He sighed happily, skipping along. He loved to be in this throng of humans. He loved them all, loved observing and manipulating and controlling them. Each person was his puppet to use for his own show. For his own game.

There was only one, whom he loathed. One whom he couldn't control.

Izaya narrowed his eyes when the wind picked up, ruffling the fur on his hood, as he stared past the cars and people, and saw a familiar mop of blonde hair. A devious smirk graced his lips.


	2. The White King

Here is the second chapter! I'm on a writing spree! I've gotta get this done~ 3 I hope you enjoy!

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><p>Across the street, an older man was cowering in an alley, shaking as he pulled his jacket closer around him. His eyes wide with fear as he looked up at the looming man in front of him.<p>

"I..I swear! I don't have your money on me right now! But it's at home! I promise I'll pay it when I am allowed back in!" He pleaded.

The debt collector in front of the cowering mess was Tom Tanaka. He sighed, shaking his head as he rubbed his temple. "Look Mr, Yamagata, I understand, but you're already three weeks late on your payment. You've gotta pay up now."

"But…my…my wife just kicked me out of the house! All my money is there! If I can't get in, I can't get your money! I…I promise, the moment I am allowed back, I'll pay up! Please, you're gotta understand! I…"

The man standing next to Tom grit his teeth in annoyance. Another fucking sob story he had to hear. He was so sick and tired of all that bullshit. He shifted his feet, grunting softly as he played with the cuff of his bartender uniform. No, he wasn't a bartender, at least not anymore. But these were a gift from his brother, and the clothes he normally wore.

He tried his best to block out the rest of this Yamagata's story, but it wasn't working. He pulled out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth. Almost as a signal to his boss that he was getting annoyed. He didn't light it, knowing it would be a waste anyways.

Tom didn't notice the blonde's movements, and continued to argue with the debtor in front of him. The ex-bartender felt his anger rising, and soon it snapped. A rush of rage and adrenaline flowed through him. He grabbed his cigarette, smashing it between his fingers as he threw it to the ground, stomping on it and crushing it under the ball of his foot.

"Shizuo, go ahead." Tom sighed as he stepped aside.

"With pleasure..." Shizuo growled as he ripped an ATM from the ground, lifting it over his head. He stepped forward, threatening to drop it on top of the trembling debtor.

"OK! OK! I'LL PAY UP! PLEASE, JUST HAVE MERCY!"

Mid swing, Shizuo froze, as a sudden scent caught his attention. Goosebumps covered his skin, and his hair stood on end. He felt as if he was being watch. This feeling made every fiber of his being stand on end. His wild, steely eyes darted around until he caught sight of tan fur covering a head of black hair, and a pair of deadly red eyes catch his. He grit his teeth and turned, throwing the ATM as fast as he could, right at the man in question.

With a quick sidestep, Izaya dodged the ATM, watching it slam into the concrete, right where he was just standing. He grinned wider and turned to look back at Shizuo who was glaring at him from across the street. He cocked his head back, smirking as he narrowed his eyes, taunting Shizuo to come closer. The blonde saw the beckon and growled, pushing his way through the crowd to come at Izaya, unable to fight back the urge to wrap his fingers around the pale throat.

Instinct told him to run. Told him to start this chase. But, he decided, that he felt like changing up the pace a bit. He was growing bored of the same routine. The same damn routine for eight years. It was wearing on him. The informant stood his ground, and waited until Shizuo had grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to his eye level.

"IZAYA! I told you to stay out of 'Bukuro!" The blonde growled, ramming his forehead against Izaya's. The brunette grinned, wincing slightly, as he tilted his head to the side.

"Ahh, but Shizu-chan, only Russia Sushi sells the ootoro I like~"

"Shut up about your God damned food! That's not the reason you're here!"

"Ahh, but it is! You can ask Simon, I just finished a delicious meal."

Shizuo seethed and walked back to shove Izaya up against a building. Izaya flinched slightly as his skull cracked against the hard brick wall. "I'm gonna kill you Flea!"

Izaya sighed and rolled his eyes, thumbing the flick blade in his pocket thoughtfully. "Shizu-chan, you've said that for years now. Why not actually try for once, neh?"

In a flash, Izaya flicked open his blade, and sliced Shizuo across the chest, making him step back and release Izaya. Shizuo's rage flared as Izaya held his blade in front of him, trapped between the wall, and the fortissimo of Ikebukuro.

"You always want to kill me, but I feel like you don't even _try _anymore." Izaya sneered, walking sideways to start a circle with Shizuo. "It's like you are just fine with chasing me around in this never ending game."

The blonde couldn't help but grin wickedly as the brunette challenged him. He followed Izaya's movements, circling him as they stared at each other. Shizuo took off his blue shades, and folded them into his pocket, chuckling.

"You want me to _try_? Whatever you say, Izaya-kun~" He cracked his knuckles and stepped aside to rip a street lamp from the ground, barely breaking a sweat as he did so. Izaya also grinned, adrenaline flowing through his body. His entire being ached with excitement. He was glad that Shizuo played right into his hands.


	3. En Passant

Shizuo rushed forward, swinging the street lamp like a baseball bat. Izaya calculated this and rushed forward and dropped to his knees, skidding on the pavement slightly before he broke into a run, rushing right underneath Shizuo's swing. With his flick blade at the ready, we swung swiftly, cutting off Shizuo's tie as he dodged. Izaya sneered as his potentially fatal cut only damaged a bowtie.

Shizuo heard a scream behind him, seeing a young girl almost get hit with the street lamp. He held it high above him, slightly frazzled. He muttered a small sorry, before turning to throw it at Izaya, who standing there laughing. The info broker twirled out of the way, watching as the lamppost crashed into the ground beside him, breaking the concrete and kicking up dust and ash.

"You'll have to try better than that, Shizu-chan!~" he sang out coyly.

With a grunt of rage, Shizuo roared out the pest's name as he uprooted a near by stop sign.

"IIIIIZAAAYAAAAAAA!"

With a malicious grin, Izaya sped ahead, twisting and turning through the dense crowd of Ikebukuro. Shizuo was hot on his tail, swinging the stop sign over his head, growling angrily. Bystanders backed away as the duo ran by, not wanting to become victim to their deadly game of cat and mouse.

Izaya didn't pause to wait. He never turned to look back. He did what his body made him do. Just keep running. Even if lungs start to ache from lack of air. Even if muscles scream in pain. _Never stop._

Shizuo eventually gave up trying to throw things at Izaya and just chase him, jumping over people and knocked over trash cans that Izaya kept pushing in the way, laughing as he did so.

Izaya climbed up a fire escape, pulling himself up as fast as he could, dodging the rusty ends of the iron bars as he ducked and weaved his way higher. Shizuo struggled to keep up, but shook the stair case whenever Izaya was about to loose his grip.

At one point, Izaya was dangling off the edge of the railing, gritting his teeth as he swung himself around to kick Shizuo in the chest. Shizuo grabbed his ankle and pulled, dragging Izaya from falling and back onto the fire escape. He threw a punch, but Izaya rolled out of the way, swinging his blade at Shizuo who ducked back, the tip just grazing his chest.

With a laugh of joy, Izaya scrambled away, climbing back up the fire escape. He reached the top and hopped over the edge of the rooftop when Shizuo grabbed his ankle once more and threw him over the edge.

He couldn't help the sudden scream of terror as he fell toward the ground. He reached his hands out, grabbing the edges of the fire escape as he flew by. His hands couldn't grip the rusted bars, and his hands were cut open as he tried to break his fall. His hand was cut and bruised, and his arm was pulled out of place for a moment until he slammed into the dirty floor.

He groaned, opening his eyes and rolling his shoulder slightly. He had landed on his side, crushing his left arm underneath him. After a few moments, Izaya's phone vibrated in his pocket. With his good hand, he flicked it open, to see he had a text.

From Shizuo.

He raised his eyebrow and read the text, chuckling to himself as he read:

[You dead yet, Flea?]

Izaya laughed loudly and rolled onto his back to look up. Shizuo was at the top of the fire escape, his shadow outlined in a ghostly halo as the moon slowly began to crawl in the air.

"That was a close one Shizu-chan!" He called, grinning. This was easily the most fun he had in a long time. At least the beast had the decency to play along.

Shizuo growled and bounded down the fire escape, jumping onto the railing and leaping off to land on Izaya. The smaller of the two scrambled to his feet and dashed out of the alley. Shizuo landed on the ground with a loud THUD, and continued to chase after him.


	4. Checkmate

Shizuo had to admit, the chase was better than the fight. The things Izaya would make him do to test his wits, his strength, his stamina, and his self control. It was a daily test to see if he's gotten stronger and smarter.

Shizuo burst through the crowd, looking around for that tan fur. He lost sight of the brunette until out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of fur, and the gleam of a blade. He ducked and kicked out, slamming the hell of his foot into Izaya's chest.

Izaya flung backwards, slamming into a trashcan. He crawled to his feet, spitting out blood from the split lip he had, and swung the hatchet he had aquired in his palm.

"C'mere kitty kitty~" he hissed, walking forward slowly. Shizuo grabbed a bench, ripped it from the ground, and walked forward, ready to meet Izaya head on.

Without any hesitation or warning, Izaya ducked down and ran at him, jumping over the bench as it swung under him. The informant saw the shocked look on Shizuo's face as he dodged the blow and landed on the back of the bench. He leapt at Shizuo, the hatchet held high over his head. He swung down in a wide arc, and sliced a deep gash into Shizuo's arm.

The debt collector howled in pain and grabbed Izaya by the hair and slammed his face into the wall, hearing the skull crack from the pressure.

Izaya saw stars and stumbled forward, blood dripping from his broken nose. He turned around, glaring at Shizuo with a deadly red gaze. With an enraged and tired grunt, he threw the hatchet, slicing Shizuo's cheek as the blonde rushed forward, using the bench as a baseball bat to slam into Izaya.

The black haired man flew back through a store window, shattering the glass and knocking over the clothes mannequins. Shizuo panted and coughed in his hand, ignoring the blood that spotted his hand. He turned and looked around, seeing the large crowd surrounding them on the street.

He see's the horrified faces of Shinra and Celty, who have arrived too late to try and stop them. The trio from earlier stand across the street, staring silently as if this entire thing was an action movie.

Shizuo doesn't see the cunning informant grin menacingly as he stood up, a large shard of glass in hand. Only when Kadota bursts through the crowd, screaming "Izaya! Stop!" and Walker and Erika crying in unison "Shizu, look out!" did he turn to see where the flea was.

A glint of glass. The reflection of the night lights in his eyes. The sudden searing pain in his head. And the black void that flooded his senses was all that Shizuo felt.

He stumbled back a bit, gasping lightly as his brain sends signals to his body that something is wrong. His right eye is completely blinded, but the pain he feels is slowly fading.

He sees Izaya standing there, a look of shock on his face. Almost like he couldn't believe it had sunken so far. Shizuo turns to look at the window of a nearby store, and see's the damage.

The shard is sticking into his skull. Penetrated deep into his head, right behind his eye. The shard had barely missed the temple, and was sticking out of the side of his hea, where blood was dripping and oozing down the side, stinging his skin.

It doesn't take him long to realize that it had lodged partway into his brain. The lack of sense on his right side of the body tells him this.

"I feel weaker than normal." He mutters as he turns back to look at Izaya, who had climbed over the broken window to stand in the street. A small drop of rain hits Izaya, and he looks up for a moment in a daze before looking back at the monster. His red eyes wide with wonder.

"Ha! Looks like i've been hit by the flea." Shizuo says louder as he stumbles back and falls to his knees, looking up at the dark, cloudy sky. Shizuo can't help but grin as he falls. Slowly and almost gently, he lies on his back and laughs, almost relieved.

Stunned, Izaya walks over and leans over him. He examines the monster, amazed that he isn't dead on the spot. But the informant can tell, that this truly is a fatal blow. He wants to smile. He wants to cheer. He wants to celebrate. But he can't. He's too amazed and shocked. Shizuo closed his eyes and chuckles.

"Well, looks like this chase it over. I'm glad I managed to get at least a few good hits."

Izaya kneels down in the pool of blood that is forming, his own blood mingling with Shizuo's. He smiles a bit and chuckles. The sounds of screams and sirens are fading around him. He can't help but laugh a strange laugh of joy and sadness.

"Hahaha!~ Yeah…you did get a few good ones on me, eh, brute?"

Shizuo nodded, opening his good eye to stare at Izaya. He frowns a bit and swallows, choking on the blood backing up in his throat.

"Hey flea…"

"Yeah?"

"Shocked, eh?"

Izaya let out a struggled breathe. "Just a bit….to be honest."

Shizuo smiled a genuine smile that Izaya had never truly seen before. He only saw this when we was far away. Never when he was this close.

"Since we're being honest…If i'm gonna die, I'm glad I died by your hands, friend." Shizuo whispered, feeling like it was becoming too much of a hassle to talk. He pauses, sighs, and laughs again. "Friend…." he breathes, almost bewildered at his own choice of words. He then looks up at Izaya and smiles, "My good friend."

Izaya swallowed a bit, taken aback at how…sincere and honest Shizuo sounds. He leans forward, and rests his hand on Shizuo's , squeezing softly as Shizuo closes his eyes, and takes his last breathe in silence.


	5. The Black King's Stalemate :Epilouge:

The man in the parka sat in silence for a moment, before standing up and looking around him. He was covered in blood, being soaked in the rain as the people around him rushed under awnings and umbrellas, still screaming in disbelief. He turned to look at the man he just killed in cold blood. He smiled again, laughing to himself. He still couldn't believe it. He had done it. He had killed Shizuo.

The police arrived, and with one glance at the scene, they knew that Izaya Orihara had committed the murder. They quickly rush to him, locking cuffs onto his wrists as they drag him away. Izaya blinks out of his daze, and begins to smile and laugh, screaming "I KILLED THE MONSTER THAT PLAGUED IKEBUKURO!"

Most bystanders thought that he was insane. His friend Shinra thought he finally lost his mind: the once great info broker had cracked. But as Izaya was dragged away, still laughing sourly, he knew that even now, he was still putting on a show. No one understood what was going through his mind. The only person who could possibly ever understand him was gone forever.

Izaya didn't fight as he was pushed into the police car, and locked inside. He only rested his head against the glass, staring silently as they pulled the sheet over the blonde's body. He frowned, coming off from his victory high, and allowing himself to mourn over the person who had considered him a friend. They took the body away, and shooed back the bystanders. Izaya smiled sadly, as he rested his head back, whispering to himself.

"I already miss the chase…"

"Hey! Be quiet back there!" a police officer yelled as they started to pull away, sirens blaring as they drove to the jail. He watched as the depressed and horrified faces of his two high school friends, Kadota and Shinra, stared at him. No remorse or forgiveness in their eyes.

Izaya couldn't blame them.

In that moment, Izaya saw something in the crowd staring at him when he drove past. A flicker of blonde. Izaya leaned forward, pressing his face to the glass as he stared at the man in the crowd.

Izaya shook his head and blinked his eyes, wiping the water and blood away from his face.. He must be imagining things. There was no way. No possible way…

"_I killed you..."_

But he was there. Shizuo Heiwajima was standing in the crowd, a passive look on his face as he watched Izaya ride by. He blinked, his amber eyes glowing slightly in the darkness. Izaya thought they looked sunken, with no emotion or life.

Dead.

But there was no way he could deny the fact he just saw his nemesis. Whether he was crazy, delirious, in shock, or if there really was an afterlife, he could not deny what he just saw. He turned away, and closed his eyes as he continued to murmur to himself in his act of insanity.

His game was over. He had put the white king into checkmate, and now there was no more game to play. He was going to be found guilty of first degree murder, and the thought scared him. There was no doubt about that. All he could do now was wait.

And he did just that.

For weeks, Izaya sat in a jail cell, staring up blankly at the ceiling. It was exactly four weeks since the death of Shizuo Heiwajima. He spoke to no one. He only murmured to himself. Irrational things like _"I don't believe in the afterlife…" _and _"There is no God…" _These things caused people to stay away from his cell. Slide in his food, and leave the crazy man be alone.

That's exactly why he murmured those things. He wanted to be alone. He didn't want to be reminded of where he was, or how his life had changed. He wanted people to think he lost his mind, although he knew very well that he was still mentally stable.

Except for that one incident.

"_There was no way you could be there." _

He was transferred to death row, after he was found guilty. It was a simple and clean process. He admitted to committing the crime. There was no reason to lie. Now, he was just waiting for his time to come.

Izaya sighed and drew circles in the dust, waiting for his last meal. the guard came over, and handed him a clean plate, with a few slices of ootoro on it. Izaya beamed, his heart rising just a bit as he grabbed the plate and slowly savored each piece, his mouth watering happily. The last time he had ootoro was the day Shizuo died.

"_There is no reason to live…when the game is over."_

He smiled, knowing his fate was sealed. And…he was ready. Ready to get on a new playing ground. With his only real enemy…or maybe, his only _real friend_ gone, there was no reason to be afraid of death.

He licked his fingers and leaned against the wall, smiling contentedly as they beckoned him for his sentence. He willing got up, and followed, a smile on his face the entire time. A genuine smile of relief.

As he was guided to the death chamber, he thought back over the eight years that had passed. He never really realized until Shizuo's death how much they were connected. Hate and Love walked on the same thin line. No, he couldn't say he loved the monster. He could never say that. But…but perhaps…

"_He wasn't all that bad."_

As they placed the coarse rope around his thin neck, he sighed a breathe of relief. He felt good. Better than he had in a long time. He stepped up to the door, and raised his hands to tighten the noose a bit more; still in control of his fate. He didn't want this to fuck up in the end. Not when he was fearless.

"I don't want this game to end. It's too addictive." he whispered as they left him on the trap door, standing back.

Clad in white, Izaya looked like a ghost. Too pale to be alive, his hollow red eyes showing no soul in them. He smiled hauntingly as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Let's keep playing, shall we?"

The executioner pulled the hatch, and let the informant fall.

"_So wait for me, ok Shizu-chan?"_

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><p><em>Thank you so much for reading! :3 I have weird dreams, don't I? Trust me, it was much stranger in my dream. I definitely edited a lot to make it work. The only part that was word for word from my dream is the last conversation with Izaya and Shizuo. Everything else was tweaked and changed to make it flow better. And this last chapter was a last minute thing to kinda tie it all together! :D I hope you've enjoyed reading! ~Cari<br>_


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